Assigned readings from Spain: a History,
ed. Raymond Carr, 2000, and The Buried
Mirror, C. Fuentes, 1992, on
reserve at the library. There are videos that accompany this text which
are also on reserve at Penn State York library.

Selected videos
related to Spanish culture. These videos are on reserve and may be watched on a
VCR in the library.

The purpose of this course is to acquaint students with the
Iberian Civilization: its people, Spanish life and culture from the earliest
settlers, through the Middle Ages and the Golden Age
to present-day Spain.
We shall study this country’s diverse society (Christians, Jews and Moslems) as
well as its distinctive regions and ethnic groups: Catalonia,
Andalucía, the Basque country, Galicia,
Castile, and Asturias.
Students will learn to appreciate Art and architecture in Spain
(El Greco, Velázquez, Goya, Gaudí, Dalí, Miró, and Picasso). They
will also research and discuss Spanish traditions and festivals (some examples
are Holy Week in Seville, the Medieval pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela,
the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona,
and Bullfighting). We will explore traditional Spanish music and dance
(Flamenco, Sevillanas, CanteJondo, Rodrigo and M. de Falla),
modern poetry and drama (Federico GarcíaLorca), and Spanish film. Students will not only study
Spain from a historical and intellectual perspective but will also be made
aware of customs and social aspects which differ from their own. We will be
reading about and discussing contemporary life in Spain (women’s issues, the
new democracy and the monarchy, family values, student life in Spain, among
others).

Students will be using basic computer skills: e-mail,
searching for information on the Internet, and the use of PowerPoint for
student presentations. Students will learn how to communicate effectively both
in writing and orally. Class discussions and analyses on various cultural
issues will teach students critical-thinking skills as well as a better
understanding of another culture. In April we will be taking a fieldtrip to the
National Gallery of Art in WashingtonDC
for a first-hand appreciation of Spanish masters such as Goya, El Greco, Zurbarán, Picasso and Dalí. I
groups of two or three, students will be asked to watch and present a Spanish
subtitled movie, discussing any cultural issues observed.

Grade distribution:

Class
participation

20%

Quizzes

15%

Exams

30%

PowerPoint presentation

10%

Group project

25%

Grading scale:

93% and above

A

80-82.9%

B-

90-92.9%

A-

75-79.9%

C+

87-89.9%

B+

70-74.9%

C

83-86.9%

B

60-69.9%

D

Class participation:

The format of the class includes lecturing, group
discussion, student presentations, oral reports and discussion on readings and
films, quizzes, exams, and a final group written project. Students are
responsible for all reading assignments and are expected to come to class
prepared for active participation in a discussion. We have a good collection of
Spanish videos in our York library. In pairs, students will be asked to watch a
Spanish subtitled movie and give a brief class commentary on reactions,
cultural issues, etc.

Attendance:

Since participation will be graded, no more than three absences (three class periods, or two
days of class) will be allowed during the semester. If you are unable to
attend class for a quiz, exam, fieldtrip or student presentation, I need to
receive a message either on my voicemail or by e-mail, before class. You
should have a documented excuse if you want to make up that assignment. Further
absences after the three allowed will affect a student’s final grade by having
one percentage point taken off per absence. On Thursday, April 17, we will be
taking a fieldtrip to Washington, DC.
Buses will leave the campus at 8am and return around 4:30 pm. All students are required to attend this
fieldtrip, which is part of your class participation. You will be excused
from other classes you may have that day, but it is your responsibility to get
notes and homework from those courses. In Washington we will visit the Spanish
painters section at the National Gallery of Art, and other exhibits available.
You will have an assignment and a short paper to write after the trip.

Quizzes and Exams:

There are three
quizzes and two exams in this course. There is no final exam. Instead, students
will be presenting their group research project to the class.

Presentations:

Students will choose a subject from a provided list and will
be responsible for doing research and giving the class a 7-10 minute multimedia
PowerPoint presentation on the subject chosen. This is an individual
presentation and you must be ready for your presentation on the date assigned. You
should have at least eleven slides in your presentation (one of which will list
your sources) and any pertaining images to better illustrate your topic.

Group project:

During the latter part of the semester there will be a group
project presentation. Each group (four or five students) will choose a region
of the Iberian Peninsula and various topics pertaining to that area. For
example, let’s say a group has chosen Portugal/Galicia. Each student in
the group will do research and a presentation on a topic he/she has chosen
related to the region. Some examples of these topics could include: a
historical summary of Portugal, the Age of Discovery, Lisbon and its major
attractions, Portuguese music: Fado, cultural
similarities and differences with Spain, a major artist (writer, poet, painter,
musician), philosopher or political figure from this region, the pilgrimage to
Santiago de Compostela, contemporary social issues
related to Portugal, the recent oil spill on the coast of Galicia and its
ecological effects. These are just a few examples of possible topics. I am open
to suggested areas of interest; my goal is to see every student motivated by
his/her research. Group topics need my approval and I will be discussing
bibliography and various subject themes with each group. I do not want you to
give me a list of numbers and facts such as provided by the CIA database of
countries nor do you want to model a tourist information website. As a starting
point, students are responsible for thinking of subject areas of their
interest, and looking at sources available in our York
library, through interlibrary loan, and on the WWW.I highly encourage students to get their
groups together and begin research early on in the semester. My web page for
this course may serve as a guide or springboard to other Spanish sites.
Students must be able to evaluate websites and distinguish reliable sources (i.e academic vs. non-academic personal pages) when sites
are included in their bibliography.

Your group project consists of an oral class presentation of
the research as well as a written report handed to me. Each student will have about
8-10 minutes for his/her class presentation. Basically, a group presentation
with five students in it will take 40-50 minutes. The group will be using
PowerPoint so as to provide visual images and better highlight its conclusions.
The written group paper (five students) should follow the MLA format and its
length should be approximately 20 double-spaced pages (size 12 font), not
including the title page and bibliography. It is the group’s responsibility to
give a cohesive written presentation of the various topics to be discussed.
Your bibliography must show a variety of sources: journal articles, books, periodicals,
and websites. An extremely useful resource for your research is PennState’s LIAS database, from which
you can obtain articles and interlibrary loan books. For each paper topic
(assuming there are five in the group) I expect at least six bibliographical
sources, per student, only two of which may be websites. Students in the group
are allowed to share some bibliographical sources (e.g
different chapters from a book on Portugal) but I expect to see a serious
effort at good research. You will be given some in-class time to work on your
group project, but you will also need time to discuss with your group out of
class, either in person or via e-mail. Students are encouraged to communicate
amongst each other and with me through group e-mail. Students are responsible
for discussion and a critique on the reports of their group members. You will
be quizzed on the material presented by each group, so good notes must be taken
during presentations. There will also be a final student evaluation on the
collaborative work of each member in the group.

Some regions and possible topics
you may want to start investigating are: Portugal/Galicia
(subjects mentioned above), the
Basque country, (the Basque language and traditions, Ignatius of Loyola: a
Basque saint, a separatist region, the significance of Guernica,
ETA and Basque politics, Unamuno, the sculptor Chillida), Central
Spain (The Spanish Inquisition, Spain as a member of the European Union and
NATO, the role of Spanish women in post-Franco Spain, contemporary Spanish
cinema (Saura, Almodóvar, Buñuel), Jewish Toledo, Segovia, architecture in Madrid,
mystic poets from Avila, Salamanca as a university town), Andalusia (Spanish gypsies, Sepharad and
the Jewish presence in Spain during the Middle Ages, Islamic influence in
architecture, language, and science, Daily life in the the
Golden Age, GarcíaLorca: Andalusian poet and playwright, The Moroccan Immigration
issue, contemporary events and social
issues), Cataloniaand Valencia (Barcelona: city of
progress and culture, Gaudí’s architecture,
Catalonian avant-garde artists, separatist politics, Hemingway and Spain, The
Spanish Civil War, Catalan language and pride, Dalí
in Figueres and Cadaqués,
contemporary issues and events). The
Balearic and Canary Islands (Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza, historical and anthropological background,
geography, Benito PérezGaldós
(native Canary 19th century novelist), current events and social
issues. These are some possible topics. I would like you to think of your
special interests and how these may be applied to a research paper on Spanish
culture. If, for example, you're majoring in social sciences, you may want to
study a social aspect of Spain. However, if you are a film buff, you could
choose a film director or genre of movies and make an analysis and /or
comparison of films. Similar possibilities exist for students interested in
politics, business, education, health care, history, literature, etc.

E-mail accounts:
All students must have a Penn State NT account as well as an e-mail account. At
times we will be working in the computer labs and you need access to these
computers. I also encourage students to communicate with one another and with
me via e-mail regarding reactions to material discussed in class, comments on
readings, or any other issues you may wish to discuss.

Academic integrity:

In accordance with Penn State University Senate Policy
49-20, plagiarism, cheating, submitting work of another person, and other forms
of academic dishonesty may lead to lowered course grades, failure of the course
or more severe measures, depending on judgements of
the gravity of the individual case. See http://www.psu.edu/dept/oue/aappm/G-9.html

University Policy on Disabilities:Any student with a documented disability who
requires individualized accommodations is encouraged to make an appointment to
see me or to meet with staff in the Learning Center.

Tentative Syllabus

Date

Subject

Assignment

January 14

Introduction. The Iberian Peninsula.

Choose topic for presentation.

16

Spain
on the map. Prehistoric Spain. Romans and Visigoths.The Caves of Altamira.